Ascend To The Heavens: The Dragon Shinobi
by Sentai-Rider Fan
Summary: When Naruto manages to seal the Kyuubi into a mystic sword he vows to use it to defend Konoha, hear his tale as he transcends all odds and becomes the Dragon Shinobi conquering all evil in his path while finding romance along the way. UP FOR ADOPTION.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did then I would have lots of money.**

**Hey guys, this is my first Naruto fanfic for this site and I would like some feedback and comments please. Constructive criticism are allowed as long as they help me become a better writer. Oh just a word of warning that there will be some Sakura bashing for a few chapters, I'm sorry since I know its frowned upon but its kind of needed for the fanfic. Anyway please enjoy and leave a review...till the next chapter. Also I'm looking for a beta-reader so if you're interested please say so in your reply.**

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><p>Naruto sat inside the Academy in silence, he was the first one to arrive in the Academy and that suited him just fine; if this was a year ago he would've been the last to come in. But this year he had changed and it was evident in his clothes, no longer did he wear that orange jumpsuit that he so proudly wears: he now wore an entirely black outfit that consisted of a black leather vest and matching leather pants, while a black scarf trailed down his shoulder; he also wore tabi boots, a ninja head piece that reminded you of a falcon with the symbol of Konoha engraved on it, a mask that covered his face and shinforearm guards depicting him as a true shinobi in his full stature. However behind him was a katana sheath in a red and gold scabbard while the golden hilt radiated malevolence and evil so if one were to stare at him they would've felt pure evil emanating from the young boy if he wished it. (1)

The silence of the room calmed Naruto down, this was his third attempt at becoming a shinobi and he was determined to pass this year, not that there were doubts with the training he did in the 6 month period since his last Genin test, he exhaled slowly as the door opened and the first batch of students arrived and looked at Naruto, "Hey who's that?" Kiba asked clearly not recognising Naruto.

"A new student?" Hinata suggested.

"Who cares" Kiba said as he sat down and ignored Naruto, who he is still assuming was a new student.

However Hinata approached Naruto cautiously and said in a soft voice, "H-hello…I'm Hinata Hyuga…nice to meet you" she then bowed in respect.

Naruto looked at her and he smiled, "Hello Hinata" he said as Hinata and Kiba gasped in surprise.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as her face went red from embarrassment, "i-is th-that y-you?"

"Holy crap Naruto that's you?" Kiba asked.

"Is it that surprising that I've changed my appearance a bit?" Naruto asked knowing the answer.

"This isn't a bit Naruto" Kiba stated, "this is a complete change…you're not wearing your orange jumpsuit for starters…and where's that can-do attitude of yours?"

"A true shinobi lives within the darkness and he does not reveal himself to the enemy so easily" Naruto wisely said though from where he couldn't figure out.

"Right…" Kiba said as Hinata poked her index fingers in nervousness.

"Hinata…you know you can sit beside me if you want" Naruto said a slight blush creeping up his cheek.

"I-I can?" Hinata asked a smile on her face.

"Of course" Naruto said gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

Kiba looked on as Hinata nervously sat next to Hinata and she looked shyly at her crush, he smiled at this knowing that Hinata always wanted to be next to Naruto who was oblivious to Hinata's feelings…until now that is, "Looks like we're no longer her guardian Akamaru" he said to his nin-dog who barked in agreement with him. He had always cared for Hinata since she was shy and her family didn't care much for her and he had been a friend to her but now he knew from the start that Naruto would care for her though why he underwent a dramatic change he didn't know.

Soon all the other students began to file in, Naruto looked at Kiba and put a finger to his lips indicating silence which Kiba grinned and kept quiet, soon Sasuke came and all the girls fawned over him as usual while he coldly glared at Naruto and was seem to be sizing him up, "Who are you?" he asked as he didn't recognise Naruto underneath all those clothes.

Naruto ignored his question and simply stared at him with his blue eyes as Sasuke stared back…there was a deathly silence as the class watched the Uchiha heir do a staring contest with the new student. However immediately Sasuke stumbled back a bit making everyone gasp, it was not often that Sasuke backed down from anyone, they wondered what had happened not knowing that Sasuke felt such a strong evil intent emanating from the black shinobi that it unnerved even him and he had to back down less he fainted from the sheer pressure of the aura.

However Iruka then came in and was equally surprised to find a new student in his class though he had not been warned about it, he also wasn't too surprised that Naruto was late, he always was but he was more concerned with if he had changed over the 6 month break before the next semester sighing he began the day, "Good morning class…first off I'll do roll call" and he each called the enrolled student's name while at the same time watching the door to see if Naruto came in. However he finally reached Naruto's name and he had no choice but to call him out and mark him as late, "Naruto Uzamaki" he said with a sigh.

"Here" Naruto said though it was rather muffled with his mask.

"Where?" Iruka asked his head snapping up as all the other students looked around searching for the unique orange jumpsuit.

"Over here Iruka-sensei" Naruto said raising his hand a bit so that Iruka could see him; needless to say everyone except for Kiba and Hinata were surprised as they murmured to themselves at how much Naruto had changed; Sasuke was staring at Naruto not believing that this was the guy that forced him to back down, the dope and dead-last ninja. Even Iruka dropped his clipboard and pen upon seeing his student too shocked to say anything; Naruto sighed and whispered to Hinata, "is my outfit that much of a shock to them?"

Hinata giggled, "They just didn't expect you to ditch your outfit completely Naruto-kun" she said.

Finally Sakura was the first one to find her voice, "S-s-stop trying to be cool like Sasuke-kun" she said pointing an accusing finger at Naruto, the other girls finally found their voice as well and voiced their opinion of Naruto's 'attempted coolness' while the boys glared at Naruto with venom at him thinking that he was trying to be superior than them.

"N-Naruto-kun isn't trying to be cool" Hinata said passionately as the girls glared at Hinata with venom making Hinata nervous, "he's just…uhm…he's just trying…"

Naruto placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and pushed her down, "Don't worry Hinata-chan…just ignore them" he said softly as Hinata blushed and nodded before sitting back down.

"O~kay" Iruka said as he looked at his class and the hostility that was being directed straight to Naruto, "the first order of the day is to practice on our throwing skills so if you would follow me" he said as he stacked his papers and headed off towards the training area, there was a flurry as all the girls stuck to Sasuke like glue while the boys walked off in pairs or single. Naruto sighed as he got up, his black scarf trailing down his body and calmly walked towards the training area.

Hinata and Kiba walked with him, "What made you change your outfit Naruto?" Kiba asked.

"Some things happened during the holiday and I did some deep thinking about how I was going about being a shinobi…eventually I decided that play time was over and I wanted to get serious" Naruto explained though this was partially the reason why he decided to change his attitude and outfit completely…there was also the Kyuubi to consider.

"You look so cool Naruto-kun" Hinata said shyly as Kiba grinned at her attempt to praise Naruto.

"Thank you Hinata-chan but don't let the girls hear you say that or they'll do something to me…especially Sakura and Ino…those two are Sasuke's biggest fans."

"Yeah I kind of got that feeling from them" Kiba said as the trio arrived at the training area. Iruka already had some students try their luck throwing five kunais or five shurikens at a target; some hit it near the centre while others completely missed. Finally it was Sasuke's turn and all the girls cheered and screamed in a fangirl kind of way as Sasuke looked at the target and taking five shurikens and five kuanis threw all 10 of them straight towards the target that hit quite close to the target.

"Well done Sasuke" Iruka said, "10/10" as he marked the score on his sheet, "Naruto Uzamaki…you're next" he called out wondering how he would do, this kind of thing really wasn't his style and he often got a bad mark for it but he hoped that he had improved with this 'new' Naruto.

Naruto stepped up to the throwing point and grabbed 5 kunais and in a blur threw all 5 into the target as all 5 kunais hit dead centre in a small circle. The class gasped in surprise, including Sasuke, it was rare for anyone to hit dead centre with one kunai yet alone 5 so the crowds were impressed and some nodded their approval.

Except for Sasuke's fan though as they accused him as trying to outdo Sasuke, "Enough" Iruka said a bit tired of their antics, "excellent work Naruto…10/10" he said with a smile as Naruto bowed in respect. The day proceeded as normal; Naruto would ace all his practices and was attentive in class while Sasuke's fangirls would accuse Naruto of either trying to be as cool as Sasuke or trying to outdo him, Iruka had to praise Naruto at his patience as he was bombarded with these insults the whole time and his eyes were beginning to twitch from frustration from the whole thing.

Soon the day was over and everyone flooded the exit as they hurried home, Iruka approached Naruto, "Good work Naruto, I'm impressed with your efforts today…keep it up and you'll make Rookie of the Year" he said with a smile.

"Thank you Iruka-sensei" Naruto said as he hefted his katana more comfortably.

"Though I'm wondering where did you get that sword from?" Iruka asked pointing to the katana on Naruto's back; he had never seen Naurto wield a katana before and he was worried that Naruto would injure himself while training or using the weapon.

"From a shop" Naruto said.

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Sure, I trained with it during the holidays…"

"Okay just be careful with it."

"Yes Iruka-sensei."

"Hey Naruto do you want to eat ramen with me? My treat!"

"Sorry not tonight Iruka-sensei" Naruto said as he then disappeared as leaves surrounded him.

"Body-flicker Technique?" Iruka mused to himself before chuckling, I might need to talk to Hokage-sama if Naruto keeps impressing me like this.

Naruto soon arrived at his apartment and took off all his clothes and the katana before he sat down, "_Ugh…I don't know how you managed to survive through that school_" the Kyuubi's voice echoed in Naruto's head, Naruto glanced at the katana as it shimmered with a red aura before it turned into smoke and formed into a fox grinning at Naruto.

"I have to go through that school Kyuubi" Naruto said calmly, "if I want to become a shinobi."

"_True but you don't have to take the crap those girls give you"_ the Kyuubi said, "_you could always show them a little bit of your power…"_

"I will not abuse the power given to me through you being sealed the Dragon Sword" Naruto said as he remembered what happened 6 months ago:

**Flashback**

Naruto walked down the street, angry that he had been rejected again by the Academy to become a shinobi, it was his second failed attempt and he was starting to think that he had no future in this village of his; he ignored the glares of the villagers as he had gotten used to them, "Stupid village…stupid villagers" he muttered under his breath. He then kicked an empty can and it rolled down to a nearby travelling merchant, which was when he saw the Dragon Sword for the first time, it was simply sitting there and it seemed to be calling out to him. Naruto warily approached it as the merchant looked down on him, "Ah…so you're the boy the Dragon Sword calls for…" he said.

"Eh? Wh-what?" Naruto asked blankly.

"The Dragon Sword…" the merchant said lifting the katana, "is calling for you…I can sense that it wants to be with you" he said.

"I-I don't want it" Naruto said taking a step back.

"It can also seal that demon that resides in your body" the merchant said with a smile.

"W-what? Ho-how do you know about it?" Naruto asked, he himself knew that he held the Kyuubi after he overheard one of the shinobis talking about him; it had frightened him that such a demonic and powerful spirit resided within him but he had vowed never to let that stop him from becoming a true shinobi.

"I know many things and I'm sure this sword will help you seal the Kyuubi…it is very powerful and once you can control it nothing can stand in your way" the merchant said.

"But I can't afford it" Naruto stated bluntly.

"Since the sword calls for you…I'll give it to you free of charge" the merchant said handing the sword to Naruto.

Naruto stumbled a bit from the weight and he looked up to protest but the stall wasn't there…he looked around but couldn't see any sign of the merchant at all. He looked down at the sword and shrugged thinking that if anything it would make a good decoration at his home, he hurried home and placed the katana on the floor, "Now what do I do?" he asked himself as he stared at the sword intently willing it to do something…anything to seal the Kyuubi in it and free him of his power and control…however suddenly a intense pain erupted throughout Naruto's body. He screamed in agony and rolled on the ground trying to find respite but the pain continued to increase in intensity until he completely blacked out from the pain…

**End flashback**

And that was it, when Naruto woke up he saw the Dragon Sword thrashing around the room while he could hear the Kyuubi's voice echoing in his mind telling him to release him from his prison which was now the sword. Naruto lifted his shirt and saw that the seal on his stomach was not there, that had been the happiest moment of his life, until he realised that now the Kyuubi was within the sword…if another person got to it and properly wielded it then it would be a disaster for Konoha. Therefore he made a promise, he would wield the Dragon Sword and master it, he would change the way he operated; although his dream of becoming Hokage remained it was no longer to make people acknowledge him but he would achieve it in order to become the strongest shinobi and protect Konohakagure, his home, thus he had ditched his orange outfit and swapped with his now black outfit and he changed his attitude to one of reserve and calm; not one of passion and anger.

The relationship between him and the Kyuubi also somewhat improved, at first the Kyuubi was furious that he had been sealed within the sword, but as time went on and the Kyuubi watched as Naruto trained himself and become an entirely different person his attitude towards his jailor changed into one of respect though grudgingly and he became silent except to comment on a particuluar thing or another. Naruto himself had become his only human friend in the mortal world and he too wondered how much stronger he will become now that this 'new' Naruto was about to enter the Academy for the third, and hopefully final, time.

1. Naruto's new outfit is the same as the one worn by Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive. Just thought I put this here in case I didn't describe it right.

**So should I continue this fanfic?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did then I would have lots of money.**

**Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews and alerts. Wow I didn't know it was good ^^ I'm so happy. Anyways here's the 2nd chapter, I fast forwarded it to the end of the year so we can get to the action quicker though there is one flashback. I hope you guys enjoy it, please review with constructive criticism. Oh also one of the reviewers was wondering about a harem and I actually already have a harem planned for Naruto ^^ so look out for that. Anyways please enjoy the 2nd chapter...till the next chapter.**

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><p><em>Near the end of the Academy year<em>

"This is truly amazing" Sarutobi Hiruzen exclaimed upon seeing Naruto's result, "he has completely changed…these results are beyond exceptional…even Sasuke Uchiha could not compare to him" he was jumping for joy at seeing that Naruto was not just improving but excelling every aspect of becoming a shinobi and that made his heart be at ease; he had always worried for the boy as he was always getting in trouble with the adults and he had hated the boy being hated but now…now he simply couldn't believe how strong Naruto had become.

"I know" Iruka said just as happily, "I truly am happy that Naruto had become stronger…there is no doubt he will become Rookie of the Year."

"I heard that the Genin exam is today" Sarutobi said.

"Yes the written component was completed last week and today we are about to commence the practical component" Iruka said.

"I heard that its quite intense" Sarutobi replied looking at the schedule, "usually we only ask for a particular part but this year we're asking for everything except taijutsu."

"Yes we decided to forgo taijutsu simply because it will take a strain on the student's body if we combine it with ninjutsu and genjutsu" Iruka said.

"Very well…I myself will also become a examiner."

"What? Are you sure Hokage-sama?"

"I am sure…I wish to see how Naruto and all the others are faring" Sarutobi said as he got up and put on his formal clothes.

"But especially Naruto?" Iruka asked with a grin as Sarutobi laughed and the two of them headed to the Academy.

"Alright listen up" Iruka said to the academy students, "its time for the practical component of the Genin exam…and today we have Hokage-sama himself overseeing the exam so you must be at your best." There was then a murmur as the students nervously glanced at the Hokage while whispering amongst themselves about the special overseerer.

"The Hokage is here" Kiba whispered to Naruto, "why is here?"

"Probably just to watch me but he's making this his excuse" Naruto said.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun you'll pass for sure" Hinata said, he and Hinata were now officially a couple in all but name; throughout the year he had gone with Hinata and took her on several dates which made her happy to no end. Along that he had been patience with her and Hinata now no longer blushed at the mere sight of him nor at his presence but she did sometimes stutter if she was nervous enough.

"Thanks Hinata-chan" Naruto said as the first part of the practical exam, throwing skills began, that he passed easily earning him a 10/10 for it. Next came genjutsu, he was asked to wait in a room before he was called into another room where he saw the corpses of his friends, he was taken aback for a moment before he realised that it was genjutsu and he was able to dispel it easily impressing Kurenai Yuhi, the Genjutsu mistress, and earning another full mark.

Finally came ninjutsu, it was Naruto's worst subject last year and was the cause of his failure, and Iruka was still worried that Naruto would not be able to pass this particular section, "Are you ready Naruto?" Iruka asked as the Hokage sat next to him.

"Yes Iruka-sensei, Hokage-sama" Naruto said.

"Okay…can you do a Henge for us please" Iruka said, "and not…your own version" he quickly added remembering that Naruto sometimes used his own 'Sexy Technique' version of the Henge and he did not need that right now.

"Don't worry Iruka-sensei" Naruto said as he did the hand seals for Dog Boar Ram and he transformed into Iruka perfectly before reverting back, "how was that?"

"Perfect" Iruka said with a smile, "now…" he then pressed a hidden button and a softball popped out from behind Naruto and hit him squarely on the head but then he disappeared and instead a rolled up carpet appeared.

"Substitution jutsu?" Naruto asked from behind Iruka surprising him.

"Ah yes Naruto and you passed…now for the final part" Iruka said as Naruto walked in front of them, he exhaled knowing that Naruto had difficulty with this part, "Bunshin no jutsu" he said.

Naruto then nodded and did the hand seals for Ram Snake Tiger and instantly 9 perfect copies appeared in a single straight line, "How's that" the 10 Narutos said simultaneously as Iruka smiled and clapped.

"Congratulations Naruto, you passed and you're now an official Genin" he said with joy as he and Sarutobi clapped as Naruto bowed.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei" Naruto said as he received his hitai-ate.

"But you already have the symbol engraved on your ninja head piece so that is fine if you don't want to wear it" Sarutobi said.

"Thank you" Naruto said as he pocketed the hitai-ate and went out to where the other graduates were.

"Hey Naruto you became a Genin" Kiba said as Hinata hugged Naruto and congratulated him.

"Yes I did" Naruto said.

"But you're not as cool as Sasuke" Sakura said, "he's still going to be Rookie of the Year."

"Yeah, yeah" Naruto said sighing, he had learnt to ignore Sakura and the other girl's jabs but it was starting to irritate him though he had remained calm the entire year.

"Oh shut it Sakura" Ino said, "Naruto will beat Sasuke's ass any day of the week right?" she directed that question to Naruto with a smile. Surprisingly Ino had became Naruto's fangirl upon seeing him continuously best Sasuke, though to a lesser extent then Sakura as she didn't fawn over him continuously and she knew that Hinata and Naruto were a couple so she didn't ask him out on a date unlike Sakura who was always constantly pestering Sasuke to go out with her though the day she confessed that she had fallen for him was a day that Naruto wouldn't forget:

**Flashback:**

Naruto was walking down the Academy corridor when he noticed several people following him, at first he thought it was the boys who were still unhappy with his new change, he turned to the left to see if they were still following him. And lo behold they still were, he sighed, 'I really don't want to hurt them…' he thought to himself as he then turned around and was surprised to find Ino Yamanaka and other girls following him, "Yes?" he asked wondering if these girls were going to spite him for always beating Sasuke.

"Uhm…hey Naruto" Ino said with a nervous smile, "where are you going?"

"Up until a moment ago home" Naruto stated, "why are you following me?"

"Oh well…we thought that you were….uhm…going to go practice some cool jutsu or something like that…" Ino said nervously, Naruto instantly recognised that her nervousness was the same whenever she was with Sasuke.

"Uh…I don't have any cool jutsus" Naruto lied, he in fact did have some futton jutsus under his belt but he didn't want to reveal it until it was necessary.

"Oh that's okay" Ino said giggling, "just seeing you train is more than enough…"

"You've fallen for me haven't you?" Naruto decided to ask bluntly.

Ino looked shock but then smiled, "Yeah…I, we, kind of gotten sick of Sasuke…he just treats us like a nuisance" Ino said.

"I kind of got that feeling" Naruto said, "so…are you going to do the same?"

"Similar but not the same…we're not going to continually pester you for a date…you got Hinata for that" Ino said with a grin while Naruto blushed under his mask.

"R-right…of course" Naruto said before sighing, "well…can't hurt to have a fanclub if only to annoy Sasuke."

"You're so cool Naruto-kun" one of the girls said.

"And so mature" another added.

"And so silent that sometimes I don't even hear you until you speak" another one added.

"Is it going to be like this every day?" Naruto whispered to Ino.

"Afraid so" Ino said as Naruto sighed and decided to go home hoping that the girls didn't follow him.

**End flashback**

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves here" Naruto said knowing that Sasuke would take Ino's statement as a challenge and he did not want a fight with Sasuke right now. Throughout the year Sasuke had viewed Naruto as his rival, he always tried to outdo Naruto in anything and everything, however he always seem to fall short of his rival; it was not uncommon to see Sasuke ask Naruto for a one-on-one sparring match just so he could prove to the blonde shinobi that he was still better than him. However Naruto had always declined and walked away from Sasuke even when Sasuke continued to call him a coward or such names thus earning Naruto quite a following as some girls no longer viewed Sasuke in the same light and instead turned to the silent shinobi.

"Shut it Ino-pig" Sakura said, "I don't care how cool Naruto is but Sasuke will always be the coolest Genin…right girls?" The other girls also agreed except for those that had fallen head over heels for the silent blonde and were looking at him with eagerness to see him retort knowing that he wouldn't and opt to remain silent which would only make him much cooler in their eyes.

Ino was about to retort when Naruto put a hand on her shoulder and she stared into his steely blue eyes, "Its fine Ino…after the exam I won't need to see them again except for mission and kami be willing perhaps I'll get unlucky and have her on my team" he chuckled at that last statement gesturing to Sakura.

"Then I'll be on your team…I'll fight to be on your team so you don't have to get forehead and her Uchiha boyfriend" she said sneering at Sakura for that last bit.

"Don't Ino…what did I tell you about controlling your emotions?" Naruto chided her, he had spoken to her several times whenever anyone insulted Naruto and her words were often harsh and glaring; Naruto didn't want that and he simply told her to control her emotions and be careful with her choice of words.

"Sorry Naruto-kun" Ino said.

Sakura scoffed, "Yeah just go and play with your demon boyfriend" instantly the entire room went cold as the other graduates coughed nervously and uncomfortably knowing that Naruto probably didn't know about him being the vessel for the Kyuubi.

Ino trembled with anger, "Don't you dare Sakura…" she growled.

Naruto sighed and he wondered how much people knew about the Kyuubi so he decided to play dumb, "What are you talking about Sakura-san?" he asked.

"Its nothing Naruto-kun" Ino said, "just forget you heard that."

"That's low Sakura" Kiba growled, "even for you…"

"Naruto-kun lets go somewhere else…you don't need to be here" Hinata said tugging at Naruto's hand.

"Oh you don't know?" Sakura sneered, "That's expected since you have _no one _to tell you that-"

"Sakura-san I really think you should stop" one of the girls said worryingly, if they were caught telling Naruto about the Kyuubi no Yoko then it could cost them their career as kunoichis.

"Shut up Hitomi" Sakura said then back to Naruto, "that _you _are the jailor for the Kyuubi no Yoko! The one that destroyed our village more than 12 years ago! You are a demon and nothing more!"

Ino completely lost it then, she lunged at Sakura and slammed her into the ground, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you right now!" She screamed as she choked Sakura while Sakura was kicking at Ino and holding her hands to prevent her from choking the life out of her. Kiba was the same as he became feral and was held back only by the few boys strong enough to stop him from ripping Sakura to pieces as he snapped at her like an animal.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Iruka yelled as several Chunins immediately appeared and dragged Ino away from Sakura who was still kicking and screaming death threats at Sakura while others were kept where they were by the other Chunins. He glared at the graduates as Sarutobi walked up to him, he could see that something was deathly wrong and it would most likely be something major, "what is wrong with you children? You do this right in front of the Hokage? And just when you graduated?" he chided them.

"What happened here?" Sarutobi asked calmly showing no emotions at all.

The students shuffled uncomfortably and some glanced at Naruto who was still simply being silent as always, Iruka instantly knew that this must be in relation to the Kyuubi, "Someone answer the Hokage this instant!" he said.

"Sakura told Naruto-kun about…_that_" one of Naruto's fangirls said.

"Oh kami-sama" Iruka said, "how could this happen…"

"Naruto…" Sarutobi said now concerned for the mental well-being of Naruto, being revealed that he was the Kyuubi must be a traumatizing concept to swallow and knowing that the Fourth's will was not enforced and the way he had been treated since childhood he feared for how Naruto would react.

However Naruto put up his hand, "Its fine Hokage-sama…I've known about the Kyuubi no Yoko for at least 2 years now" he said surprising everyone in the room, "I just played dumb as I was curious as to how much the graduates knew about the Kyuubi."

"Look man I don't-" Kiba began.

"As I said its fine…I know some of you may not mind that I have the Kyuubi in me while others may…hate me for it but if it makes you feel any better, I've sealed the Kyuubi."

"You did what?" Sarutobi asked in surprise.

"Yeah" Naruto said revealing his stomach that was unblemished whereas he would've had the seal on him, "I sealed it in this katana" he said pointing to the sword on his back.

"You sealed it in that sword?" Iruka asked not believing.

"Why do you think I always carry it around?" Naruto said with mirth, "as further proof I'll just let the fox have a stretch…" he then took off the katana and drew it; instantly a bright red chakra emanated from the sword and it slowly took the form of a average-sized fox though with a sadistic, and almost comical, grin on its face.

"_I resent being shown like a pet kit"_ the Kyuubi growled.

"I know, I know…" Naruto said, "now no maiming or killing Kyuubi" he said as he held the katana pointed towards the fox.

"Oh my…that's the Kyuubi no Yoko?" one of the Chunins asked.

"H-hey is it safe with that thing here?" a Genin asked.

The Kyuubi then growled at the graduates as they cowered in fear before Naruto sighed, "That's enough Kyuubi…time to go back."

"_Oh…but I just got out"_ the Kyuubi said but Naruto didn't say anything other than he sheath the katana in its scabbard with a resounding 'clack' and the fox disappeared and was drawn back into the sealed katana, however before it was sealed the fox looked at Ino, "_you really shouldn't have stopped her…I would've loved to see the bitch get ripped a new one"_ it then laughed and was promptly sealed.

"So do I" Ino growled at Sakura.

"Wow…" Kiba muttered, "you actually tamed _the _Kyuubi no Yoko…you're amazing Naruto" he said with a smile.

"Thanks…but I don't have perfect mastery over the sword so I can't wield it as much as I want hence why I've never used it until now" Naruto said as he placed the Dragon Sword back on his back

"Oh my god you're so amazing Naruto-kun" Ino said as the other fangirls agreed.

"B-but how?" Sarutobi asked.

"I'll explain later Hokage…right now I think it's best if I take my leave now" Naruto said, "I've caused enough problems as it is."

"Very well" Sarutobi said, "see me first thing tomorrow morning" Naruto nodded and he ran to the balcony and jumped before he disappeared as a circle of leaves surrounded him before dissipating into the sky.

"Wow…even his exit is amazing" Kiba said with slack jaw amazement.

"Now…for you Sakura, come with me" Iruka said in a stern voice as Sakura was led, flanked by two Chunins, to the Hokage's office but as she passed by Ino, who was still trembling with anger, she stopped and glanced at Ino, "I don't regret ever telling Naruto the truth…better to hear it now then to hear it later and have him distracted in battle."

"I'll never forgive you Sakura" Ino said softly her hand clenched in a fist, "you told him as a mere insult but to him…it opens up huge wounds in his heart…we're through with each other."

Sakura looked at the ground with downcast look, "Is that so?" she asked, "Then I'm sorry it has to end this way…" she was then escorted to the Hokage's office where her punishment would be given out. Then Iruka looked at the other graduates and they soon dispersed leaving only Kiba, Ino, Hinata, Iruka and the Hokage in the hall.

"I-I should go to Naruto…he'll be so crushed to know about this" Ino said as she hurriedly went to the door.

"Wait Ino" Iruka said making Ino stop and look at him, "give him some room…if I know Naruto he'll get through this…he already knew about the Kyuubi for a long time now so I don't think he's too upset about it…he just wanted to know how much you guys knew about it."

"O-okay…" Ino said as she bowed and took her leave.

"I don't hate him…I really don't" Kiba said looking down.

"I know" Iruka said, "he said so himself that he knows some people don't hate him…" Kiba then nodded and left with Hinata beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did then I would have lots of money.**

**Hey guys, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favourite, alerted etc this story. It makes me so happy and it encourages me to update more regularly; anyways there some things to clear up: first off this is not going to be a Ninja Gaiden crossover as one reviewer has said, it just happens that I chose Naruto to wear Ryu's clothes, secondly there has been some confusion as to the harem part: what I meant was that several girls fall in love with Naruto but in the end Naruto only loves Hinata. So no multi-wives ^^. Anyways please enjoy this chapter and as always leave a review/constructive criticism. Also there's a poll at the end of this chapter.**

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><p>The next day Naruto arrived at the Hokage's Tower, it was a bright morning and Naruto had a good feeling about the day even if he was going to explain how exactly he sealed the Kyuubi into the Dragon Sword. He entered the Hokage's office and bowed, "Hello Hokage-sama, I've come here as instructed" he said.<p>

Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork and smiled, "Hello Naruto…please have a seat" he said gesturing to the seat in front of him.

"Thank you" Naruto said taking the seat.

"Now…perhaps you should start explaining how did you exactly seal the Kyuubi" Sarutobi asked and Naruto then narrated everything that happened 6 months ago, from meeting the merchant to sealing the Kyuubi within the sword, Sarutobi sat back upon listening the tale a look of disbelief on his face, "so you're telling me that you happen to come across a sword that somehow had the power to seal the Kyuubi within it? You do know how…strange that story sounds."

"I know that you may think that it is unbelievable but trust me its true" Naruto said, "I don't know how but this sword has been keeping the fox sealed properly…perhaps even more so than the seal on me."

"As evident from yesterday when you were able to tame the Kyuubi and ordered him to return to the sword" Sarutobi stated.

"Yes that is correct though I didn't order the Kyuubi as to ask him to return to the sword" Naruto said, "if the Kyuubi ever tries to escape then the sword will intensify the seal and I believe if need be destroy it."

"Then this must be a legendary sword" Sarutobi mused, "good thing I've brought Tenten here…she's a Genin that graduated last year and her family are weapon experts so they may know a bit more about this sword of yours."

"Then I will wait" Naruto said but at that moment Tenten then came in alone.

"Did you call for me Hokage-sama?" Tenten asked.

"Yes I did" Sarutobi said, "come here, have you heard about Naruto? This year's Rookie of the Year?"

Naruto wasn't surprised that he had been made Rookie of the Year; it was a guarantee with his marks and his ability to best even Sasuke Uchiha in anything though he was worried what this meant for his team placement. Tenten nodded, "I have…and is it true that he tamed the Kyuubi no Yoko?" she asked in amazement.

"Not tamed…more like I sealed it in this sword" Naruto said taking off the Dragon Sword and placing it on the floor.

Tenten took one look at the sword and gasped, "Naruto-san…do you know what this is?" she asked with awe.

"Uh…the merchant called it 'The Dragon Sword' so I guess that its name" Naruto said.

"That's right this is the legendary Dragon Sword" Tenten said before explaining, "long ago there was an ancient swordsman who travelled all around the country. He was a mystic swordsman who knew a bit about magic as well, more importantly sealing magic, he went from place to place seeking strong spirits and demons to seal inside his sword which was said to be forged from the blood of a demon lord. He fought with countless spirits and demons and with each successive victory he became stronger and the sword became more lethal to spiritual entities."

"Sounds like a demonic sword than a dragon sword" Sarutobi commented as Naruto nodded along with him.

"Yes well…" Tenten said scratching the back of her head, "in the end his pride got the better of him and he thought he could seal Ryujin, the Dragon Lord, and therefore obtain ultimate power…and as always he lost the battle."

"Figures" Naruto said, "its usually not wise to go after celestial beings."

"True but the legend further explains that the battle left the Dragon Lord badly wounded and he would not be able to survive…out of respect for the only human who was able to injure him this severely he decided to be sealed and rule over the other demons and spirits so that they would not escape from their prison upon the swordsman's death…and the rest is unknown and the Dragon Sword was thought to be either lost or merely a legend" Tenten concluded.

"So a mystical sword wielded by a mystical swordsman…not much information but it is a start, thank you Tenten; you may go now" Sarutobi said.

"S-sure Hokage-sama" Tenten said bowing, "I'll see you later Naruto-san" she said before leaving though she was reluctant to leave the Dragon Sword as she wanted to study it further; its not everyday that you encounter one of _the _most legendary swords in history but she understood that the Hokage had some things to discuss with Naruto…especially about yesterday's incident.

"Bye Tenten-san and thank you for the story" Naruto said as Tenten smiled at him and closed the door.

Sarutobi sighed, "This complicates matters Naruto-kun…if this sword truly is the Dragon Sword then who knows how many demons and spirits reside within it plus the Kyuubi…if the council hears about this then they may take this as a sign and order your death."

"There is also Ryujin to consider, he may still be controlling the other demons and spirits" Naruto said, "and I'm sure the Kyuubi is being nice to him."

"You sound as though you know the Kyuubi already" Sarutobi said with a chuckle.

"Something like that" Naruto said then he looked into Sarutobi's eyes and he could tell that there was more to this meeting than just knowing about the Dragon Sword and if he had to guess it would be about Sakura and her little outburst, "I'm guessing there's more to this meeting?" he asked.

"Yes there is also the subject of team placements" Sarutobi said as he took out the photos of the graduating Genin and placed them in front of Naruto, he noticed that everyone was present except for Sasuke and Sakura and he made a mental note to ask about those two later, "I understand that you not only aced the practical component of the exam…but also the written component of the exam hence making you Rookie of the Year without any question."

Naruto nodded but remained silent unsure of where this was going, if possible he would like to team up with Kiba and Hinata since he had become close with the Inuzuka heir and Hyuga heiress but he knew of another boy, Shino Araburame, who specialized in tracking using his insects…which coincidently that Kiba and Hinata would also make good trackers and therefore it would be beneficial for all three of them to be together; likewise he knew about Ino's relationship with Choji and Shikimaru in that their fathers made a powerful team and no doubt they want the next generation to be the same. So that left only him left and several other Genins.

"As you may have figured out most of the exceptional Genin have their own specialized team which leaves you without one" Sarutobi said, "I put you in another Genin team but considering your abilities…I don't think they would really be able to bring out your full potential."

"I see…so what do you wish to do with me?" Naruto asked.

"I have two options" Sarutobi said, "the first is create 5 man team, in other words you join a team of your own choice, its never been done before in history and perhaps will never be done again but that is one way. The other way is for a private one-on-one teaching where you are trained personally by a Jounin or someone higher to improve your skills such as Sasuke Uchiha who is now being trained by Kakashi Hatake, my best Jounin."

"Will I be able to go on missions?" Nartuo asked.

"If there is a mission available then I will give them to you" Sarutobi said.

"Who will be my instructor should I agree to the latter choice?" Naruto asked wondering who the Hokage would give to his best student.

Sarutobi smiled, "Jiraya can you please come out?" he asked as a tall man with waist-length, spiky white hair usually tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs that framed both sides of his face. He also had red lines that ran down from his eyes and wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil'. He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants; under which he wore mesh armour that showed out of the sleeves and legs of his outfit. His outfit was completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, traditional Japanese geta, a red cloak with two simple yellow circles, and a scroll on his back. He then came in from the window and stood next to Sarutobi, "this will be your instructor…my former student, Jiraya" Sarutobi said.

Naruto's eyes widen in surprise, he had heard of Jiraya of the Sannin, one of the three legendary ninjas that fought in the 2nd and 3rd Shinobi War, and was considered the three strongest ninjas of Konohakagure alongside Tsunade and Orochimaru. He was honoured that Jiraya would teach him should he choose to accept it which he would considering the alternative and he didn't like to break tradition now, "It would be my honour to be taught under Jiraya-sama" he said.

"Oh ho…looks like the boy has some manners after all" Jiraya said cheekily, "are you sure he's as good as you say?" he asked.

Sarutobi nodded, "He is and better…he has the makings of a great shinobi" he said.

"And he sealed the Kyuubi within the legendary Dragon Sword?" Jiraya asked though it was more of a statement, "That truly is impressive…kid let me tell you that my training regimes are not light nor are they for the weak of heart; I'll push you everyday till you sweat and go home exhausted…are you ready for that?."

"I wouldn't have it any other way" Naruto said smiling underneath his mask.

"Excellent" Jiraya said, "I'll give you the day off to prepare yourself…meet me in training ground 7 tomorrow morning" and with that he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm glad that you're training underneath Jiraya, he's one of the best out of all the Sannins and also one of my brightest students" Sarutobi said.

"Thank you Hokage-sama for this opportunity" Naruto said as he wondered when was the right time to ask about Sakura, from Sarutobi's words he figured out that Sasuke was probably being trained by Kakashi but as to Sakura…

Sarutobi took one look at Naruto's eyes and knew that he wanted to ask about yesterday's incident, he sighed and clasped his hand before speaking gravely, "Now there is the issue about Sakura" he said.

"I'm assuming you talked to her" Naruto stated.

Sarutobi nodded, "I had her sent here as soon as you left…she admitted to revealing your true identity as well as called you some words."

"And?" Naruto prompted.

"And as per my law anyone who reveals to the younger generation about your true nature and history is to be put to the sword" Sarutobi said gravely before his words softened, "however I would like your opinion on what should be done."

Naruto looked to the ground as though he was deep in thought; he was on the fence on what he should do with Sakura. On one hand he wanted to see Sakura die for what she had done to Naruto over the years: she took every and any opportunity to insult, demean and abuse him either verbally or physically and she pretty much made his life a living hell and he would be more than glad than to see her die. But on the other hand his other self, his 'new' self would not allow it to pass…although Sakura had broken the law and she had been evil towards him he simply could not allow another life to be taken on his account. Finally after some soul-searching he exhaled and said, "Although my heart would be glad to see her die…my soul cannot allow it for I no longer will take the path of destruction and death…instead I will take the path of pacification and life…that is my new way of the ninja, my new nindo that I will follow" Nartuo said wisely.

Sarutobi smiled and leaned backwards, he was impressed by Naruto's words; in the world of shinobi where life and death were as common as money it was rarely possible for a shinobi to always follow the path of peace in combat, where the enemy is disabled instead of killed, but if he knew this new Naruto then he would be able to follow such a path for within him is not only the power of the Kyuubi but, at least he hoped, also the power of Ryujin and he would be able to overcome any obstacle that stands in his way, "I understand what you are saying Naruto…I will spar Sakura's life but she will no longer be able to become a shinobi of this village" Sarutobi said.

"Thank you for your kindness" Naruto said bowing.

"Think nothing of it" Sarutobi said, "I hope you become a great shinobi Naruto…I can tell that you have the makings of one."

Naruto bowed and left the building deciding to go to his apartment to meditate on all that has happened and hopefully to communicate with Ryujin just like he has with the Kyuubi. Naruto walked upon the streets of Konoha and as usual he received the hostile stares and glares from the villagers, who no doubt have known about Sakura's fate, he could also hear their whisperings:

"There he is…the demon brat."

"It's not fair…how come Sakura has to die for telling the truth…"

"_He _should be the one put to the sword not Sakura-chan."

"Haruko is going out of her mind…she's devastated about the news…"

Naruto sighed and wondered if the villager's minds would change once he knew that he had spared Sakura's life albeit ending her career as a kunoichi, "Naruto-kun" Ino's voice rang out and he turned and saw the Rookie Nine walking towards him.

He smiled, "Hello Ino-san…you guys having a party or something?"

Ino shook her head, "No we've been waiting for you since you got called to the Hokage's office…so what happened there? Did he talk about the…thing?"

"The Kyuubi? Yes he did" then Naruto narrated everything that happened up to the team placement.

"So you're going to study under Jiraya? The Great Toad Sage?" Kiba asked, "That is so awesome man!"

"I'm starting tomorrow morning for the training" Naruto said, "so I have the whole day off to get ready."

"Ano…Naruto-kun…what are your plans for today?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Hmm…well I did want to talk with the Kyuubi and meditate on what to do next…and perhaps try and reach to Ryujin…why?" Naruto asked.

"Well…ano…uhm…I was wondering if you would like to go have lunch with us?" Hinata asked. However immediately everyone made excuses why they couldn't go with Hinata and Naruto, an obvious ploy to get them together alone, "eh? But you guys promised" Hinata said deeply blushing now while waving her arms about.

"Hahaha…sorry Hinata-chan" Ino said with a wink, "I got things to do" as Naruto internally groaned at Ino's blatant attempt at getting him and Hinata together though he deeply he really wanted to be alone with Hinata.

"Look…Naruto-kun are you okay? Sakura was pretty mean about yesterday" Ino said with a look of concern on her face.

"And as I keep saying I'm fine" Naruto said, "I've known about my heritage for a fair while now and I'm not so traumatised as I was when I first heard about it…please don't worry about me, you guys are the last people to hate me, that much I know and I'm glad I can call all of you friends." The Rookie Nine all smiled at Naruto's words and Ino and Hinata fell even more in love with him while Kiba just grinned like usual; Shino remained quiet though a small smile crept up his face; Choji simply kept eating while smiling while his friend Shikimaru muttered something but then smiled.

"YOU GODDAMN DEMON BRAT!" a loud scream echoed over the area as Naruto turned and saw a tall woman wielding two katanas with pink hair; obviously Sakura's mother, she was looking straight at Naruto and looked ready to kill.

"Oh crap Naruto run" Ino said, "that's Sakura's mom and she's gone off completely off her rockers."

"Naruto-kun run, we'll hold her off" Hinata said tugging at Naruto's hand.

"Both of you calm down" Naruto said, "I can handle her…"

"No, we'll handle her" Inoichi said appearing in front of them, "Hokage has given the Ino-Shika-Cho trio orders to stop Haruko from harming you" then Shikaku and Choza then appeared surrounding Haruko.

"You bastard demon…because of you my precious daughter is going to be executed at dawn tomorrow…you alone have destroyed her" Haruko sneered.

"Stop this Haruko-san" Inoichi said, "its your own daughter's fault that it has come to this…if she had kept her mouth shut then she wouldn't have to be executed."

"Naruto-kun run now" Shikaku said, "we may be renowned but even I don't know if we can stop her."

"Damn…if my dad says he's not sure then it's a good time to run now Naruto" Shikimaru said, "I know a hiding place where Haruko-san won't find us."

"Kagemana no Jutsu" Shikaku cried out as the signature jutsu of the Nara clan activated and held Haruko down but with her immense strength she was able to move slowly towards Naruto.

"Shinranshin no Jutsu" Inoichi cried out as he used his mind jutsu to bring Haruko down but it was evident he was struggling as he fought to maintain control, "incredible…" Inoichi commented, "even with the Shinranshin no Jutsushe can still move…"

"Bubun Baika no Jutsu" Choza cried out as his arms became humongous and he held Haruko down, "now's your chance Naruto-kun…run away while we deal with her."

"Come on Naruto-kun this is serious, she just sliced 10 shinobis who tried to stop her" Ino said.

"10? How do you know?" Choji asked.

"My dad mentioned it while in passing" Ino said making Inoichi groan, he reminded himself not to talk about missions in Ino's presence or else his wife wouldn't be too happy.

Then Haruko released a huge amount of chakra which threw the formation apart, "You can't stop me…he took my daughter, my life…I'm just returning the favour" Haruko said as she then lunged at Naruto with her twin katanas as Ino and Hinata moved to intercept the attack; but Naruto rushed in between them and with a simple flying roundhouse kick that sent Haruko flying to the ground.

"Enough…this is my problem so I'll deal with it" Naruto said.

"Don't be reckless Naruto-kun" Shikaku said, "Haruko was a Jounin before she retired…there's no way you can deal with her."

"Perhaps not…but I must try…for this is my nindo" Naruto said as Haruko got up, Naruto then went to a pre-emptive strike and struck Haruko in the stomach before delivering an uppercut to her chin sending her into the air then he jumped up over her and slammed his heel down sending her crashing back into the ground before he yelled "Sukaidoragonsutairu: Doragonroaringu no kōka" (Sky Dragon Style: Dragon Roaring Descent) and for a brief moment before he came down everyone could see something amazing; floating next to him was a huge dragon, almost as big as the Kyuubi, with golden scales and azure blue eyes, he had four whiskers, two on each side, and razor-sharp teeth while a crown made from various jewels adorn his head. Naruto then quickly descended from the air and gave a devastating punch that shook all of Konoha and creating a sizable crater in its wake.

"D-did Naruto…" Ino asked but her father shook his head.

"No he didn't…" Inoichi said with a smile as it soon became clear that although Naruto did punch the ground, it only missed Haruko's head by a few centimetre, it was obvious he was avoiding dealing a deathblow to Haruko.

"I do not wish for your death" Naruto said to Haruko, "it would not be fair to Sakura-san."

"She'll die tomorrow…what else can you take from me?" Haruko sobbed.

"No…I asked the Hokage to spare her life, she will not be executed but her dreams as a shinobi are over" Naruto said standing up.

"What? You spared her life?" Shikaku exclaimed.

"That is true" Sarutobi said as he, and two ANBU bodyguards, appeared to the crowd, "although my law dictates that any who reveals to the younger generation about Naruto's status is to be executed" he looked at Naruto and smiled, "Naruto-san has asked that Sakura be spared, to which I have agreed, but she can no longer become a kunoichi…perhaps you should've come to me instead of venting your rage against the boy Haruko-san."

"Please Hokage-sama, spare Haruko-san as well, she may have attacked me but that was only out of love for her daughter and I am not injured" Naruto pleaded not sure if he was pushing his luck with this.

"Are you sure Naruto-san?" Sarutobi asked, "She may attack you again and next time you might not be so fortunate."

"I am certain" Naruto said as Sarutobi nodded and told Haruko to go home and await her daughter's return, "thank you Hokage-sama" Naruto said bowing.

"Well…now that this issue is over we can all go back to our normal routines" Sarutobi said as he disappeared again.

"Wow…" Ino exclaimed, "Naruto-kun that was so amazing!"

"You look like an actual dragon for a minute there" Kiba added.

"Even I have to admit that not even Sasuke could beat you in a fight" Shikimaru commented.

"So does that mean Ryujin's out?" Hinata asked.

Naruto gave a nod, "He is…he woke up when my desire to disable Haruko was strong, he agreed for me to wield the Dragon Sword" he said.

"_I have a feeling that your path of peace will change the world for the better_" Ryujin said in his head.

'I know' Naruto mentally replied, 'thank you for allowing me to wield the Dragon Sword Ryujin-dono.'

Ryujin chuckled, "_Please…just call me Ryujin…Ryujin-dono makes me sounds so old…_"

"_You are technically 50,000 years old you know"_ Kyuubi interjected.

"_And technically so are you"_ Ryujin retorted.

"_Touché"_ Kyuubi said.

"That's so amazing Naruto-kun" Choji said, "I'm sure you'll make a great shinobi."

"I'm impressed as well…I haven't seen that level of taijutsu since Might Guy came into the scene" Inoichi said, "it's a good thing my daughter is fawning over you then over the Uchiha."

"F-father…" Ino groaned, "you're embarrassing me…"

"Thank you everyone" Naruto said, "I'll try to follow everyone's expectation and I hope to work with you all soon. Hinata-chan, would you like to have some lunch with me?"

"Y-you wouldn't mind?" Hinata asked shyly.

"Of course not" Naruto said, "and anyone else is welcomed to come" but as expected everyone made excuses as Naruto chuckled and dragged a shy and stuttering Hinata to his favourite restaurant.

"I have a feeling that this boy will exceed even the Kages of old" Shikaku commented, "I wonder what history will call him?" he mused to himself.

"Naruto Uzamaki: The Dragon Shinobi" Choza suggested, "that has a nice ring to it." As everyone laughed and made their way home hoping to see more of Naruto in action.

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><p><strong>Okay here's a question I want to ask you guys: I have two paths I can take regarding who Orochimaru takes; I can follow the canon and have Sasuke go to Orochimaru and it pretty much follows the canon story, or I can have Sakura become Orochimaru's apprentice since she eventually desires power and I can modify the story from there. What do you guys think I should do? Please leave your answer in the review. See you till next chapter.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys thank you all of you for the reviews, alerts and favs; they really made my day. Please keep it up so I know how I'm doing...so a lot of people thinks that my story will follow canon and have Sasuke defect to Orochimaru...since you guys want it then I'll deliver it and mould the story towards it. Now this chapter focuses mainly on training and Naruto's interaction with Sakura. Hope you guys enjoy it and as always please leave a review. See you in the next chapter.**

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><p>The next day Naruto woke up early and went to Training Ground 7 to start his new training regime with Jiraya though he didn't know what he would be training…perhaps fuuton or kenjutsu since Nartuo excelled in using the sword and he had some experience with the Wind Release kind of jutsus since he was training with the Kyuubi not more than a year ago now; he then decided to do some of the exercises that Ryujin told him about, he had practiced them yesterday after his lunch with Hinata, it was supposed to calm him down and open up his chakra pathways so that chakra could flow through his body much easier. He wondered briefly if it would work but since Ryujin was a 50,000 year old spirit dragon there had to be some truth to it; then mid-way through his exercise he felt someone throw a kunai at him and he instantly reacted by ducking low and bringing his own kunai out to meet his attacker.<p>

"Good form and reflexes kid" Jiraya said from on top of a tree, "but you could improve."

"Jiraya-sensei" Naruto said bowing in respect to the old man.

"And hello to you too Naruto" Jiraya said, "now are you ready for your first training exercise?"

"Yes master" Naruto said steeling himself for what would be a very difficult training exercise coming from one of the Sannin.

"Okay first of we're going to learn chakra control" Jiraya said, "do you know how we do that?"

Naruto thought back on some of the books he head read on chakra control, essentially it meant controlling one's chakra so that it could be quickly utilized in the right place at the right time, and as such one of them happened to be, "Tree walking?" he asked.

"Good so you have read ahead…yes one of the main ways for chakra control is the tree exercise" Jiraya then demonstrated by casually walking up to a tree and climbing until he was literally hanging on one of the branches just through his chakra alone, "of course the hanging bit is a bit advanced and I don't expect you to do it today but that's what we're aiming for this week" he explained with a grin.

"So we need to continually give out chakra on our feet so that we can stick to the to the tree and then walk along them right?" Naruto said.

"Its not as easy as it sounds" Jiraya said with a grin, "I suggest you get a running start first before you start trying" he then jumped down and went underneath one of the trees to watch Naruto have a try at this exercise.

Naruto looked at the tree and wondered if it was as hard as Jiraya said it would be, he decided to give it a shot, he prepared himself to run towards the tree, he gathered as much chakra into his feet as he could and ran full speed towards it; lunging at the tree and for a moment he was running along it and he thought he had it but then he found himself falling and it was only due to his reflexes that he was able to save himself falling flat on his butt, 'Okay…not so easy then I thought' Naruto thought to himself.

"Not so easy hey?" Jiraya asked as he wrote something on a notepad. Then throughout the entire day Naruto tried to complete the tree exercise, he would always use a running start, trying to gather as much chakra into his feet as he could before he started climbing the trees but he would always fail and fall down; Naruto was getting frustrated at this and his eyes began to twitch in response to this, "you have to be patient Naruto" Jiraya said as he continued to write something in that notepad of his, "not everyone can succeed in the first day…it took me a better part of three days to successfully pull this off."

"That long?" Naruto exclaimed, "I guess not everything can be done instantly."

"A shinobi must be patient whenever he is on a mission or training, rushing will only get you and your team-mates killed faster than you can blink" Jiraya said.

"Got it" Naruto said as he tried again but failed and so the next few days was the same, Naruto would try and he would fail while Jiraya would spew some sagely wisdom now and again while he was writing something on that notepad of his. Finally he was able to do it and he hanged on a branch using only his chakra, "I did it Jiraya-sensei" he said.

"Excellent" Jiraya said with a smile, "now we can move onto stage 2 of this training exercise."

"There's a stage 2?" Naruto asked, he was already tired from training and to know that there's a second stage disheartened him a bit.

"You managed stay up on a tree…lets see how you do on water" Jiraya said.

"You can walk on water?" Naruto asked as the duo made their way to a nearby lake.

"Yes you can" Jiraya said and to demonstrate he simply waltzed into the lake and walked on the water and stood in the centre of the lake like it was nothing, "just like that…however you'll need to give off a greater concentration of chakra than on the tree and you also have to repel the water so you don't sink like a stone."

"Okay I'll give it a try" Naruto said as he took off his clothes until he was standing only in his boxers then he gathered as much chakra into his feet as possible then he took a step into the water before standing at the edge of the lake, 'huh…I may pull this off' he thought to himself when he found himself standing on the water; he then slowly walked into the centre of the lake but he lost his concentration and subsequently fell into the lake. Luckily it was only waist deep but Naruto had to try again.

"As I said this is much harder than the tree climbing exercise because you need to constantly change your chakra concentration depending on the atmosphere of the water" Jiraya said as he causally walked across the lake and sat down underneath a tree as Naruto tried again to pull the water walking exercise off. This exercise took another three days to master from which Naruto learned to patiently gather his chakra into his feet then when he analysed the waters he slowly went in and if he managed to do it correctly then he would be able to walk on water but if he lost his concentration then he would sink.

"Excellent, excellent you managed to pull it off" Jiraya said with a grin.

"Stage 3?" Naruto asked wondering if there was a harder stage than the previous two.

"Thankfully no" Jiraya said, "what you just did means that you have near perfect chakra control; now you just have to nurture that until you have absolute control of your chakra" he explained.

"So what do we do next?" Naruto asked.

"Now…now we move on to our next part of our training regime" Jiraya said.

"And what's that?"

"Finding out what your elemental affinity is."

"What does that mean?"

"Well every shinobi has at least one elemental affinity: fire, water, earth, lightning and wind…Jounins have at least two, which are requirements by the way to be a Jounin."

"So what is your elemental affinity?"

"I have a different affinity that you don't need to know at the moment."

"O~kay…so how do you find out what my affinity is?"

Jiraya then took out a square piece of paper and grinned, "This here is chakra paper, paper made from trees that have been fed with chakra their entire life, if you concentrate chakra into it you can find out your elemental affinity."

"Okay then how do I know which affinity I have?" Naruto asked taking the chakra paper.

"If the paper turns to ash then you have fire; if it crinkles then you have lightning; soggy for water; crumbles to dust is earth and splitting it in half is wind" Jiraya explained.

Naruto nodded and held the paper in his hand as he concentrated his chakra into it and before long the paper was split in half, "Hmm…so wind chakra huh?" Jiraya said, "You know who else has wind chakra?" he asked and when Naruto shook his head Jiraya laughed, "Asuma also uses wind chakra…ask him for help once in a while."

"Okay I'll do that" Naruto said as the training session ended for the day.

The next day he went to Asuma, where he knew would be playing Shogi with Shikimaru, along the way he saw Sakura who was now working with her mother on the civilian council; she seemed okay as she was smiling though Naruto could see the pain in her eyes. She saw Naruto and waved at him with a smile while Naruto waved back, unsure of what to do, he decided to have a talk to her once he had talked to Asuma about wind chakra training.

He reached Asuma's house and as he expected he was playing Shogi with Shikimaru, "Asuma-sensei, Shikimaru-san" Naruto said with a bow.

"Oh hi Naruto" Asuma said with a smile, "care to join us for Shogi?"

"No thank you" Naruto said, "I've come here to get some training from you."

"Training? From me?" Asuma said a bit surprised, "But isn't Jiraya-sama training you?"

"He is but he recommended that I take some advice from you regarding wind chakra training" Naruto said.

"So you elemental affinity is wind huh? Like me…okay then" Asuma said getting down, "the first thing that you need to know about wind element is that its wild…if you don't control it well enough then you'll lose control of it and either hurt yourself and your team-mates…or worse case scenario kill yourself and your team-mates" he explained.

"Sounds…unpredictable" Naruto commented.

"It is, wind element are the most unpredictable of the lot so you have to be careful with it, on the other hand it also has lots of benefits" Asuma said, "take my chakra-enhanced trench knife as an example…now if I fill it with chakra then I can extend the range a bit…also if I refine the chakra to a minute precision…" he then threw the trench-knife and it pierced through not only a big oak tree but also embedded itself deep into a boulder behind it.

Naruto was impressed and he could see himself wielding a chakra enhanced Dragon Sword and slicing anything that dare stopped him in his tracks, "So basically I have to refine the chakra to a point that I can cut anything in half whether it be wood or even stone?" he summarised.

"Basically" Asuma said a bit pleased that Naruto got it, "however you'll have to figure it out for yourself how to do that so you can learn" he told him.

"Got it thank you Asuma-sensei" Naruto said as he then ran off to his own training area to take a shot at this.

"How troublesome…" Shikimaru said.

"What's so troublesome?" Asuma asked.

"That…you're practically teaching Naruto how to kick our asses…" Shikimaru said pointing to Naruto.

Asuma gave a light-hearted shrug, "Well then that means I'll just have to teach you guys that much harder" he said with a grin.

Shikimaru sighed knowing what Asuma meant, "Troublesome…" he muttered before he moved his piece and said, "checkmate" making Asuma cried out in surprise at losing for the 1000th time against his resident genius.

As Naruto walked along the streets of Konoha he managed to see Sakura sitting down with a cup of tea in her hand, he also noticed that her eyes were red and that her hands were trembling, despite his hatred against the pinkette for all the mistreatment she gave him he wanted to genuinely see what was wrong with her; after checking that no one was around he cautiously approached her, "Sakura-san…" he called out to her.

Sakura looked at Naruto with an expression of a mixture of anger…and sadness, "Hello Naruto-sama" she said with venom though toned down.

Naruto couldn't help but scoff, "Even now you still look down on me" he said.

"Are you here to gloat?" Sakura asked, "Happy that my dream as a kunoichi has been crushed because of you?"

"I would be lying if I said that I wasn't happy…part of me is happy that you got what you deserved, but I also know that being a kunoichi was your dream…or was Sasuke your dream?"

"Both" Sakura whispered she then shuffled over, "have a seat Naruto-san…"

"At least you called me Naruto-san…that's a start" he said as he sat down beside Sakura; usually he would've been happy that he was able to sit to Sakura since she was his crush since a kid…but now he had a good and caring girlfriend in Hinata so that dream was redundant.

"So how was your training with Jiraya-sama?" Sakura asked.

Naruto then narrated all the training that he underwent with Jiraya and him asking Asuma for advice, he also told her about the various taijutsu, ninjutsu and a bit of genjutsu training that Jiraya put him under so he could be an effective shinobi, "That is really hardcore…and its only been a week since you graduated" Sakura said.

"I know…" Naruto sighed, "I come home exhausted and tired leaving me little time to interact with Ryujin and the Kyuubi" he said.

Sakura flinched as the Kyuubi was mentioned, "I-I'm sure you'll become a great shinobi Naruto" she said.

"So what are you doing now that you're no longer a kunoichi?" Naruto asked.

"I'm working part-time with a family friend, you know the grocer near the square" Sakura said as Naruto knew who she meant though bad memories began to crop up as the shopkeeper always sold him rotten fruits and vegetables.

"And your mother?"

"She's still on the civilian council…though she wasn't happy that you graduated but I told her that she was lucky I was still spared by you instead of having my head chopped off…" Sakura said with tears forming in her eyes as it dawned on her just how close she had come to death.

"Think nothing of it" Naruto said, "my path will no longer be swathe in blood."

"You're naïve if you think that you can always disable an enemy" Sakura said, "but then again…perhaps you can with that mighty sword of yours."

"I'll do what I can but that is what I wished to happen" Naruto said.

"Naruto-san…I…I really don't know what to say, you could've left me for dead and I would've totally understand your reasoning but instead…" a tear rolled down her cheek, "instead you pleaded with the Hokage not to only spare my life but that of my mother as well…"

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing" Naruto said quoting John Powell from which he read in a book, "learn from your mistake Sakura-san, don't be a shallow person who's only goal in life is to attract the attention of one who will abandon you in the end" he wisely said.

Sakura chuckled, "Don't be such a sage baka" she said laughing and poking Naruto's forehead making Naruto smile, 'there's the Sakura I used to know' he thought to himself.

"So are you going to work part-time for now or do you have some plan in mind?" Naruto asked.

"Honestly I don't know Naruto…" Sakura said sadly looking down at her now cold tea, "I can't work part-time for the rest of my life…I have to do something with the training I did in the Academy or I would've wasted a year of my life for nothing."

Naruto thought about this for a while, it was true that Sakura may not be the best in terms of practical training and that was evident in her exam but she was number one in terms of book-smarts and theories though as everyone painfully knows, theories can only take you so far, she was however good on another thing, "Hey Sakura what mark did you get for chakra control?" he asked.

"Huh? 8/10 why you ask?" Sakura asked.

"You know where you can make good use of that chakra control?" Naruto asked, "The Konoha Hospital…you can become a medic-nin."

"Don't you need to be a kunoichi to do that?" Sakura asked laughing.

"Not necessarily…I'll ask the Hokage about it but I'm sure he'll say yes though under certain conditions" Naruto said.

"Hmm…working in the hospital…beats selling vegetables and fruits every day" Sakura said with a smile, "thanks Naruto…for giving me a second chance."

"No problem Sakura" Naruto said, "for someone as talented as you, you deserve a second chance at redeeming yourself."

"Stop it Naruto" Sakura said blushing, "you're going to make me blush."

"Careful…Ino will probably rip your head off if she hears you say that" Naruto said jokingly.

"Speaking of Ino" Sakura said, "do you think I can salvage my friendship with her?"

"Honestly I have no clue on that one…you're going to have to talk with her on that matter but if you're really sorry for what you did I'm sure she'll take you back as a friend though not on the same level as before."

"I have been kind of a jerk haven't I?" Sakura said as she brushed some hair off her eyes.

"As I said, you have a second chance in redemption…don't screw this one up as well."

"Thanks Naruto, I'll never forget your kindness…I'm through with Sasuke and…well…I'm looking into alternatives."

"You do know I'm taken right?"

"I know baka!"

Naruto had to laugh at that, "Damn you really rebound quick Sakura" he said with a grin, "well…just as long as you don't make Hinata jealous I'm fine with a fanbase though not to the same degree as Sasuke-san."

"Yeah now that I think about it we were kind of silly to fawn over him…we completely ignored you the whole time" Sakura sadly said with a bit of humility in her voice.

"Never thought you would admit that in your lifetime" Naruto remarked.

"Things change Naruto" Sakura said, "I have to go back to work Naruto…I'll see you soon okay?"

"Bye Sakura, I'll talk to Hokage about that job with the hospital, dattebayo!" Naruto said with a smile as he backflipped and disappeared with the swirl of the leaves.

"Amazing…" Sakura whispered before she smiled and went back to work while Naruto went off to train with his Dragon Sword.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, thanks for all the alerts and favs...I really appreciate them however I am disappointed that there aren't a lot of reviews. Can I please have more reviews from you guys, I know that there's a lot of you reading it and a review would go a long way in improving my chapters so just click on the review button and tell me what you think of this chapter; thanks :). This chapter is short because it's mainly an introductory one to the Land of Waves Arc, it'll get longer next chapter so see you until then. See you next chapter everyone.**

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><p>A month after graduating from the Academy Naruto and Jiraya entered the Third's office where they would be given their first assignment, Naruto had been training hard in the whole month, not only with Jiraya and Asuma but also communicating with the Kyuubi and Ryujin constantly so they developed a repertoire with each other and they were now in good terms as well though there was hesitation between the Kyuubi and Ryujin. Also Naruto had spoken with the Hokage about reinstating Sakura as a medic-nin in the Konoha hospital and Naruto clearly remembered that day:<p>

**Flashback**

Naruto entered the Hokage's office and bowed respectfully, "Hokage-sama" he said, "I wish to speak to you about something" he said.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi said with a smile, despite his immense respect for the blonde he still liked to call him Naruto-kun if only to annoy Naruto a bit.

"Uh…" Naruto said a bit taken aback but then got his tongue back, "yes I wish to speak about Sakura Haruno."

Sarutobi's eyes steeled itself and his tone became menacing, "She hasn't been harassing you has she?" he asked.

"No, no that's not why I'm here" Naruto quickly said knowing that Sarutobi would not forgive Sakura a second time if she was found to be breaking her condition with the Sandaime.

"Then what is the matter Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked.

"Well…I had a chat to her a couple of weeks ago, I had just come back from talking to Asuma-sensei and well…I kind of thought that she had such great chakra control in the Academy and I kind of heard that medic-nins need massive chakra control to do the things they do and…" Naruto explained.

"And you thought to offer her a job in the hospital" Sarutobi finished the sentence as he sighed, "you do realise that in order to be a medic-nin you have to be a shinobi."

"I know but Sakura really needs this job…she's facing problems at home from her mother since she's no longer a kunoichi…at least consider it please" Naruto pleaded.

Sarutobi stared at Naruto's eyes which held a pleading look and he instantly knew that Naruto cared a lot for Sakura despite what she had done to him throughout his life, "Very well Naruto…I will see what I can do to have Sakura reinstated back as a kunoichi and by proxy as a medic-nin…but she will have to prove herself as the hospital will not allow her to slack off."

"She would be the last people to slack off Hokage-sama" Naruto said as Sarutobi nodded and Naruto left via shunshin.

**End flashback**

"Good morning Naruto-kun…Jiraya" Sarutobi said, "I have your first real mission ready for you, usually I would give you an E-rank or D-rank mission but because of your tremendous ability and the fact that you have Jiraya with you I'm giving you a C-ranked mission."

"Thank you Hokage-sama" Naruto said internally rejoicing that he has a chance to do some actual shinobi work for a change. For almost a month he had been doing nothing but doing E-ranked and D-ranked missions, most of them usually consisting of helping an old farmer plants some seeds, helping the construction of a new building or just fixing some fences. None of them were actually worthy of his abilities but Naruto didn't complain once knowing that this was necessary to allow the Hokage to actually justify sending Naruto to a C-ranked mission even if his teacher was one of the legendary Sannins.

"Now…your mission is to escort a bridge builder back to his hometown where he will finish completing his bridge, we don't expect anything to happen but bandits have been known to prowl the area so be on your guard" Sarutobi explained.

"Yes sir" Naruto and Jiraya simultaneously said.

"Very well" Sarutobi said, "I'll call the bridge builder now…" then Tazuna entered through the door and took a look at the pair.

"Are these my escorts? I thought you said that I would have at least four shinobis with me…all I see is a kid and an old man" Tazuna said.

Naruto had the urge to punch the man and tell him that he wasn't a kid anymore but considering that his was their employer he couldn't do that legally without getting his ass in jail for assaulting an employer.

However it was Jiraya who answered the man, "That kid may be a brat but I am the legendary Sannin of Konoha….Jiraya the Toad Hermit!" he said dramatically earning a groan from Naruto while Sarutobi just facepalmed his face.

Tazuna just simply stared at Jiraya in complete shock before saying, "This is a shinobi?" he asked pointing to Jiraya making him facefault.

Sarutobi had to laugh as he saw his student getting up while grumbling to himself, "Although he may look like an old man he is indeed one of my prized students and the most powerful one as well…as for Naruto-kun, he is very talented and he has shown incredible skills so you are in very good hands Tazuna-san" Sarutobi said.

"Very well then…" Tazuna said, "I'm expecting you to defend me even if it costs you your life."

"Yes Tazuna-san we'll do our very best" Jiraya said as Tazuna left.

"So when do we leave?" Naruto asked when Tazuna had gone.

"In two hours" Jiraya said, "the sooner we complete this mission the sooner I can teach you."

"Can't you teach me en route?" Naruto asked.

"I could but what I'm going to teach you is something only the Fourth and me could do and I don't want enemy shinobis to copy it…especially that Uchiha not that he could since this is practically an S-classed jutsu."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard that Jiraya would be teaching him an S-class jutsu, "S-class…it must be pretty strong" he said.

"One of the most strongest jutsus…it was the very same one other than the infamous Flying Thunder God Technique that made the Fourth legendary among the shinobi world as well as a hero in Konoha" Jiraya said.

"Awesome" Naruto said allowing a little bit of joy to be expressed, "I'll go get packed and get ready in an hour."

"Okay we'll be waiting for you" Jiraya said as he shunshined out of the office.

"Good luck Naruto-kun and be careful, do not underestimate a C-ranked mission" Sarutobi said.

"I won't Hokage-sama" Naruto said as he quickly went to his home and packed everything he would need for a journey while wondering at the same time if a C-ranked mission would be more exciting than a D or E-ranked mission…sure there was an element of danger associated with C-ranked missions but at the same time the most dangerous thing that he would encounter are either wild animals or at the worst bandits so he wasn't sure if it would be exciting…but a job's a job and he already accepted it so he couldn't back out from it now.

He soon arrived at the gate where Jiraya and Tazuna were already waiting on his back was his backpack containing everything he would need for a journey as well as the Dragon Blade within easy reach of his hand, "You're ready kid?" Jiraya asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be" Naruto said with a smile as the trio then walked towards Tazuna's destination. Along the way they passed through a puddle and that struck both Naruto and Jiraya as odd since it hadn't rained in Konoha for some time now so they continued to walk but was wary of any attacks that may come their way; sure enough a moment later several shruikens came flying towards them. Naruto jumped up and drew the Dragon Sword while Jiraya simply dodged them while grabbing Tazuna and protecting him.

"Hehehe…looks like you're good" Gozu said.

"We might even have some fun" Meizu agreed with his brother.

"Who are these two?" Naruto asked.

"The Demon Brothers" Jiraya said, "they're two Chunin missing-nins from Kirikagure and they're very good at assassinations."

"Damn…" Naruto mumbled, "you think we can take them on?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jiraya asked laughing, "I am Jiraya the Toad Sage while you are my apprentice…there is nothing that can stop us" he said.

The Demon Brothers looked at each other before they charged, crisscrossing each other, before they then simultaneously charged at Naruto and tried to slice him apart but Naruto simply ducked underneath them and side kicked Gozu before kicking Meizu's head knocking him out before he then smashed Gozu's face and knocked both of the brothers out, "That…was too easy" Naruto remarked as he sheathe his Dragon Sword.

"Not all battles are as epic as you thought they are" Jiraya said as he calmed down after he tied the Demon Brothers to a tree and sent a frog to tell the Hokage about what had happened and to send someone to arrest the Demon Brothers before he turned to Tazuna and said, "however…the Demon Brothers are well known for being hired for assassination purposes…so why are they after you Mr Bridge Builder?"

Tazuna gulped and said, "How should I know? Perhaps they're random shinobis" he said.

Jiraya sighed, "The most danger we expect from a C-ranked mission is a couple of wild animals or at worse some bandits but if shinobis are involved then this has just been bumped into an A-ranked mission and as such you have lied to us…so you better tell us what's going on before we decided to dump you here and no I do not care what the Hokage will say and better yet he'll support our move to dump you here."

Tazuna looked at Jiraya with shock in his eyes before he sighed and narrated the whole story of the Land of the Wave's situation, from their poverty, Gato's annexation of the docks all the way to his desire to build a bridge from the Land of the Waves to the mainland to get rid of Gato's influence on the Land of Waves. Jiraya and Naruto listened intently to the old man's explanation and they had to raise an eyebrow or two when Tazuna over-dramatised some parts of the story especially at how his grandson would seek revenge and his daughter being all alone if he died.

Jiraya and Naruto looked at each other before Jiraya visually asked what he wanted to do, Naruto just shrugged indicating that whether or not they continued with the mission he doesn't care, "Very well…since we're already here we'll follow you all the way until the enemy is incapacitated or you have successfully completed your bridge" Jiraya said.

"Thank you, thank you so much" Tazuna said with a genuine smile. The trio then made their way towards the Land of Waves as they hoped that the Demon Brothers were all that stood in their way before they trashed Gato for trying to monopolize the Land of Waves.


	6. Chapter 6

**And here's chapter 6, sorry for the long wait guys, and I'll apologise now because it'll be some time before chapter 7 due to university work. Anyways thanks to everyone who's been patient and continually reviews this fanfic, I really enjoy reading your comments. Anyways here's another poll ^^ would you guys like to either have Haku and Zabuza get killed as per canon, or have Naruto spare their lives? Please tell me what you want in the reviews and until then Dattebayo!**

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><p>The trio soon arrived at the Land of Wave and it soon became clear why the bridge was needed: the people were dirt poor, the entire area was in poverty, Tazuna had mentioned that even the local lord had no money and Naruto didn't believe him but seeing the people he had to swallow his words and admit that perhaps what Tazuna said was true, "Damn...I didn't think it would be this bad" Naruto admitted.<p>

"See...this is why we need that bridge, once the bridge is completed then we can break free from Gato's grip and this land will prosper again" Tazuna said.

"Then we can be sure that Gato will send more shinobis after us and it won't be some Chunnin missinv-nin; it'll probably be some A-ranked shinobi so stay on your toes Naruto" Jiraiya said.

"Yes Jiraiya-sensei" Naruto said as he kept an eye out for any further attacks while Jiraiya also kept an eye out for any other shinobis; the plan being that Naruto would protect Tazuna while Jiraiya fought any shinobis that would try to attack them.

However they soon arrived at Tazuna's place where they were greeted by a tall woman with long black hair and wearing a kimono, "Father you've returned" she said with a smile.

"Yes Tsunami I've returned" Tazuna said with a smile, "and its thanks to these shinobis guarding me" he said gesturing to Naruto and Jiraiya.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my father" Tsunami said bowing, "hold on let me call my son." As Tsunami called out to her son.

Soon a young boy camd down with a rather grumpy expression, which brightened up when he saw Tazuna, "Grandpa!" he cried out as he hugged his grandfather.

"How are you Inari?" Tazuna asked, "Meet the shinobis that helped me cross the sea, they'll be helping me out while I finish making the bridge."

Inari's face then soured again, "Those guys should go home" he said bluntly.

"Inari!" Tsunami cried out, "Don't say that."

"But it's true!" Inari retorted, "No one can beat Gato...they'll just end up being killed by Gato's men."

"Don't worry kid" Jiraiya said, "it'll take more than a couple of shinobis to stop a Sannin!"

Naruto sighed, "What he said but with less emphasis on the Sannin part" he said.

"It doesn't matter if you're a Sannin or not...no one can stop Gato" Inari said as he ran back to his room.

"Inari!" Tsunami cried out, "I'm really sorry about him...but its been difficult for him these past few months."

"I understand" Naruto said as he sat on a chair and waited for Jiraiya to tell him what to do.

"I think its best if we help Tazuna finish the bridge so we have less chance of going into a long mission" Jiraiya said.

"So we help him complete the bridge, Gato can't do anything and we get to go home" Naruto briefly summarised what was going to happen.

"Exactly" Jiraiya said with a big smile.

"Thanks you two, I really appreciate it" Tazuna said. The rest of the day was spent supervising Tazuna as he worked building the bridge, however it seemed that not a lot of people agreed with Tazuna, they saw at least two people who decided to call it quits and stop working on the bridge; their face a mixture of both shame and fear, the latter because they would be failing their village and the former because of Gato and his men. Naruto looked on and understood why Tazuna desperately needed to create this bridge, without it they would not be able to break free from Gato's grip and they would be forever trapped within his powers.

At the end of the day Tazuna had made significant progress despite two people leaving his side, also there hadn't been any trouble from Gato or any of the other shinobis that he hired to kill Tazuna. However the two shinobis had their guard up just in case their was going to be an attack while they were walking back home; they never knew when an enemy might decide to attack Tazuna so they never let their guard down until they were well inside Tazuna's home and they were sure that there would no attacks did they let their guard down, "That was too easy" Naruto commented.

"Don't let your guard down Naruto" Jiraiya said, "tomorrow Gato will make his move."

"How can you be so sure?" Naruto asked.

"Shinobi intuition" Jiraiya said as Naruto face palmed in annoyance.

"Are you really a Sannin?" he asked Jiraiya who had chosen to ignore that comment.

"How long will it take for the bridge to be finished?" Jiraiya asked..

"If all goes to plan and I don't lose anymore workers then in a week" Tazuna said.

"Then a week it is" Jiraiya said as Naruto nodded with him. The next day they went out to the bridge to protect Tazuna; it had not been 30 minutes when mist suddenly appeared in the area, "becareful Naruto!" Jiraiya yelled out, "This is certainly the work of a shinobi."

Naruto went to Tazuna's side to protect him so that no shinobi could get near him, "Nice try boy but you cannot protect him just by yourself" a cold voice said; Naruto turned around to see Zabuza before him and before he could move Tazuna was cut down by his blade...only to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Sorry" Naruto said smiling underneath his mask, "that was a Shadow Clone" he then kicked Zabuza in the chin and sent him flying backwards; followed with a punch to the gut but Zabuza caught the fist and he countered by kicking Naruto in the gut and sent him flying.

"You may have some good moves but you're just a Genin...you're not a true shinobi" Zabuza said as he gripped his blade tighter. He then jumped up and made a downward slicing motion at Naruto who side-rolled to the side before countering with a punch to the head that sent Zabuza flying.

"You bastard..." Zabuza growled as he took a step forward but he was then hit by a senbon and he fell down dead. Then a masked figure emerged from the mist, holding several senbon in his hands.

"I apologise for being late...I thank you for distracting Zabuza for me" the masked figure said.

"A Hunter-nin from Kirikagure?" Jiraiya asked, "About time."

"A Hunter-nin?" Naruto asked never hearing the word before so therefore it was a new concept to him.

"When a shinobi runs away from their village they essentially becomes missing-nins, a rouge ninja, most of the time ANBUs are sent out to dispatch them before they can reveal village secrets to the enemy, in Kirikagure there is a special unit that are called Hunter-nins that essentially are assassins that go after these missing-nins and destroy their bodies so that Kirikagure's jutsus are not revealed to enemies."

"That is correct" the Hunter-nin said, "I have been hunting down Zabuza for some time, its good to know that I can complete my mission."

"So...he's dead?" Naruto asked, his hand near the hilt of his Dragon Sword.

"Yes" the Hunter-nin said, "I will dispose of the body immediately, again I thank you for helping me kill Zabuza" and with that the Hunter-nin then lifted Zabuza up his shoulder and he then went off and out of the Koknoha shinobi's sight.

"That's it?" Naruto asked, "He just lets us do all the hard work and he bags the kill?"

"That's how the shinobi world works Naruto" Jiraiya said as he went to Tazuna to talk to him, "are you okay?"

"Y-yeah" Tazuna said, "thanks for saving me."

"No problem, that's what our mission says and that's what we're going to do" Jiraiya said with a smile as Naruto nodded with him.

"Thanks, the bridge will be finished in a few weeks time" Tazuna said, "until then can you please protect me?"

"Of course" Naruto said as the trio then went home much to the joy of Tsunami and Inari joy though Inari was displeased that the shinobis were still here but he didn't say it out loud.

Meanwhile Haku took out the senbon from Zabuza's neck, "I'm sorry Zabuza-sama, did I hurt you?" he asked as he took of his mask.

Zabuza groaned and sat up, "No, thank you Haku, but I could've taken care of that Genin" he said.

Haku nodded, "I know Zabuza-sama but I had a feeling that the Genin has a power that is beyond yours, I could sense a strong chakra force in him and I was worried about your safety so I knocked you out and convinced the shinobis that you were dead and I was simply collecting your body."

"One of them was the Sannin of Konohakagure, Jiraiya" Zabuza said, "I'll have to be even more careful now..." he said, "though I never expected him to take on a Genin as his companion."

"It's probably his apprentice" Haku deduced, "its the only reason he would take someone like a Genin with him; Jiraiya is mostly known to be a loner and he never takes anyone without a good reason" he said.

"Damn...this'll make the job much harder than it already is, and Gatou is already urging me to quickly kill the bridge-builder so he can dominate what's left of the Country of Wave" Zabuza growled.

"I'll try my best to help you Zabuaza-sama" Haku said with a smile, "I owe everything to you for saving me."

"I know" Zabuza said, he was proud of his tool, he had found Haku while he was a shinobi of Kirikagure and had trained him into becoming the ultimate assassin, one who would never disobey him and would kill his enemies without the slightest of remorse, the perfect killing machine, "get ready Haku...we're going for the kill, you're going to fight Jiraiya's apprentice while I deal with the Sannin myself."

"Can you beat him Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked, "he is the Sannin of Konohakagure."

"I can try, he won't be expecting me to be alive again after your little show" Zabuza said, "and I can always use my full powers to beat the likes of him."

"Yes Zabuza-sama" Haku said nodding, "I will do my very best" he then looked out to the night sky which was twinkling with the stars and he hoped that the two of them would be able to be together forever.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, I had lots of things going on in real life and I lost muse for the story for a while but now its back. So again please R&R and if you want to criticise please have constructive criticism. Hope to see you all soon in the next chapter which would end the Land of Waves Arc.**

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><p>Naruto went to a nearby forest the next day, Jiraiya was with Tazuna guarding him and Naruto was left to his own devices to 'train himself' Naruto thought that it was a bit strange since Zabuza was dead and Gato would probably only send thugs and other lower-ranked shinobis to attack Tazuna so in retrospect Naruto would have been more than enough to deal with whatever shinobis or thugs that Gato sent Tazuna's way but he had to admit that the prospect of training by himself was very tempting especially since he could go at his own pace. He went to a clearing and practiced using a particular jutus that he had been developing for a while, it involved surrounding the Dragon Blade with a concentrated mini-tornado of wind before he swung it over his head and sent it towards an enemy, which in theory should cut himher into small pieces, but right now...

Naruto swung his sword towards a tree but before the wind blades even got halfway they had dissipated into the air; this was one of the problems, the wind blades were far too weak to reach the target unless it was at very close range, and even then they were quite weak compared to what he had thought in the first place, _'This will take some time...'_ Naruto thought to himself before he tried again but with the same result, _'what am I missing?'_ Naruto asked himself, he had learnt all about training with futtons with Asuma-sensei and he knew about the basic principle of futons so why was it so difficult?

A few hours later Naruto was tired, he was no closer to achieving perfection, and all he had managed to do was mow the grass around the clearings as well as trim the branches off a few trees, "Argh…so hard" Naruto muttered as he rested against a tree and decided to have a small nap as he closed his eyes and soon he fell asleep but what seemed like seconds to him he felt someone near him and he immediately took out his kunai and held it against the intruder's throat before he could see that it was a girl with long black hair, "I-I'm sorry…you just scared me" Naruto said.

"It's okay…I should've known better than to sneak up on a shinobi" the girl said as she sat next to Naruto, "what are you doing here anyways?"

"Training" Naruto said.

"Without your sensei? I've never heard of a shinobi, especially one as young as yourself, training by himself" the girl replied.

"I'm…quite different" Naruto said as he unconsciously went to his sword, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki…what's your name?"

"Haku" Haku replied with a smile, "you must be quite the shinobi Naruto-kun if you're training alone."

"Y-yeah" Naruto said chuckling a bit, for some reason he had the feeling that he could trust this girl…that he could tell her everything and be okay, but he knew that he couldn't do that because he had been taught to trust no one but his own team-mates and for some reason Haku looked very similar to someone that he met yesterday, "you know…you look like someone that I met yesterday" he said casually.

'_Have I been found out? But how?'_ Haku thought to himself, his disguise should've been flawless and although Naruto looked like a proper shinobi there was still no way he would've been able to figure out who he was, "R-really? What a coincidence" Haku said with a smile.

"Yeah must be a coincidence" Naruto replied as he yawned, "man training can be tiring…"

"What is your current mission in the Land of Waves?" Haku asked wanting to know what the current mission of the Konoha shinobis were…especially since one of them was a Sannin.

"That's a secret" Naruto said with a smile, "I can't tell anyone…not even a civilian."

"But you can tell me…I doubt anyone would think of me as having secrets" Haku said hoping that he could get something to Zabuza.

"Nope, my lips are sealed" Naruto said.

"I see" Haku said with a smile though inside he was disappointed that he couldn't obtain any information for Zabuza but at the same time he was interested in the mysterious blonde boy, he was unlike any shinobis he had ever come across, there were some that were silent like him but none of them had the aura of someone who was in peace with himself or had the feeling that there was more to the person than meets the eye, "say do you have someone important to protect?" Haku asked.

"Hmm? Someone important to protect? Of course I do" Naruto said smiling underneath his mask, "Konoha…my home, that is what I want to protect."

"How about anyone in particular?" Haku asked he had never considered that someone would be willing to protect their home, he had heard of people fighting to protect their loved ones or comrades but home…a foreign concept to the missing-nin but somehow it resonated with her desire to protect Zabuza.

"No…no one in particular" Naruto said, "probably Iruka-sensei and the old man but…other than those two no one."

"I see" Haku said understanding a bit about the Genin, "very well then…I should be going" he said, "someone important to me is waiting."

"See ya Haku, I'm sure you'll have someone waiting for you…you are quite pretty after all."

"I should tell you…I'm actually a boy" Haku said with a smirk as Naruto face just fell before he giggled and went his way _what an interesting boy _Haku thought to himself as he went back to Zabuza _perhaps he will be able to defeat Gato when the time comes_.

Naruto looked back to where Haku walked, he had a feeling that he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where, "Oh well…I don't think he's an enemy" Naruto said as he continued to work on his new technique failing again a few moments later, "argh…what a pain" he muttered as he looked at the Dragon Sword and breath in and out slowly as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sword and before long he had gone inside his own mind.

_Naruto opened his eyes to reveal that he was now in a forested area where there was a lake in the middle of it and in the middle of said lake is a small shrine with a bridge leading to it. Naruto breath in and out, the transition between the physical to the spiritual world was something an ordinary mortal cannot do but to one who wielded the Dragon Blade it was quite easy albeit with some nasty side-effects that Naruto would soon experience as soon as he went back to the mortal world; he went along the bridge towards the shrine noting that the water seemed to be pristine clear…like there was no dirt or pollution in it like it was pure as snow and the forest was so tranquil and quite like it seemed like you could sleep here and there would be nothing in the world that could disturb you._

_Naruto soon arrived at the shrine where a beautiful maiden with fair skin and bright blue eyes dressed in floral kimonos sat on a cushion while a low growl could be heard from underneath the maiden, "Hello Ryujin-sama" Naruto said with a bow, "how are you today?"_

"_Quite fine thank you Naruto-kun" Ryujin said, her voice tinkling like a bell, "other than the Kyubi trying to escape my day has been quite uneventful."_

"_Blasted bastard!" the Kyubi's voice, low and full of malice, cried out, "Get me out of this prison! I swear on all the Kamis and Youkais I will destroy you if you do not comply!"_

"_Silence!" Ryujin curtly said before the Kyubi simply growled again, "You will never break free from your prison, not while I am your ward" then Ryujin looked at Naruto and smiled as though nothing had happened, "and what is the aim of your visit today?"_

"_I'm having trouble creating this new jutsu" Naruto said, "I tried to gather wind around the blade then throw it at the enemy but the problem is that for some reason the winds won't converge on my blade and when I do try to use the technique it dissipates far too quickly."_

_Ryujin thought on this for a while and she seemed to be interested in the technique, "Tell me Naruto…did you create this technique on your own?" she asked._

"_What do you mean?" Naruto asked._

"_I mean did someone tell you the basic concepts of this technique or did you create the whole idea by yourself?" Ryujin asked._

"_I created the whole idea myself" Naruto said, "why do you ask?"_

"_What you're telling me is similar to one of the Four Dragon Dances that you are able to do with the Dragon Sword, specifically what you are describing to me is a variation of the Dance of the Wind Dragon" Ryujin explained, "originally the technique called for the wielder to be in the air along with his enemy then calling upon the Dragon of the Wind, Fyujin, the sword would be covered in his power and only a few are able to survive after being sliced by the wind."_

"_Wow…" Naruto said in awe, "but honestly all of it was my own doing, I didn't even know such a technique such as the Four Dragon Dances exist."_

"_It is rare that anyone can even do one Dragon Dance but I do know of one person who have been able to successfully use all of the Four Dragon Dances" Ryujin said._

"_Let me guess…the guy that sealed you inside the sword" Naruto guessed._

"_Nope wrong" Ryujin said, "It was the Sage of the Six Paths."_

"_Wait…the guy that not only sealed the 10 Tailed Beast but also the guy who created the concepts of Ninjutsu?"_

"_Correct but I can offer you only one advice, such a technique requires you to have a heart as free as the wind and that I cannot teach you."_

"_Thanks anyways Ryujin-sama" Naruto said bowing, "I'll take my leave now."_

"_Good luck Naruto-kun" Ryujin said, "I can see great things in your future and I am sure you can destroy the darkness that you will come across in your life" her words echoed inside Naruto's head as he began to wake up into the mortal world._

Meanwhile back in Zabuza and Haku's hideout Zabuza was thinking on how to deal with his mission, Haku had failed to come up with anything useful, saying that the boy apparently had almost noticed that Haku was the Hunter-nin that had 'killed' Zabuza and took his body, Zabuza had to admit that the Genin was quite sharp and he would be a dangerous foe in the future should he continue on the path of the Shinobi, "This has become a troublesome mission" Zabuza said to Haku.

"Yes…it seems that not only do we have to fight one of the Sannin of Konohakagure, but it seems that the Genin is also strong" Haku said.

"That too but more so about the Sannin" Zabuza said, "although I am strong I am not sure if I able to defeat such a legendary Shinobi and still be able to kill the bridge builder."

"We can still quit now" Haku suggested, "there is nothing Gato has that forces us to work with him."

"But we're short on money" Zabuza said as he picked up his money bag, which was nearly empty, "if we don't complete this mission we won't have enough to feed ourselves and prices are starting to rise."

"I can always forgo eating Zabuza-sama" Haku said in an emotionless tone, "you need to eat…I'll be fine."

Zabuza looked at Haku as though he was considering his words before he went to Haku, "I appreciate the sentiment but I need you to be in top condition so you can serve me" he said looking down at Haku, "so eat, rest and prepare for tomorrow we're going to strike and complete this mission."

"Yes Zabuza-sama" Haku said as he went outside to be on his own for a while. Zabuza watched Haku and his mind wandered back to the first time he met him, back then he was still a shinobi of Kirikagure, an ANBU no less, when he had met up with Haku while he had been on a mission, the boy had been starving and living off scraps while fighting off wild dogs that were attracted to the food. He eventually managed to convince the boy to serve him as a 'weapon' a tool for Zabuza and the boy had readily accepted it as it gave him not only a life, but also a sense of purpose, that his ultimate fate was to serve Zabuza for all of eternity.

But now Zabuza thought about his initial thoughts on why he recruited the boy, true he had realised that the boy had a Kekkai Genkai that was useful for Zabuza, but was that all? Was Haku truly only a tool for him? Or was it something else? Did he also feel pity for the boy, to know that he was discarded like trash just simply he had a power that brought about countless war, perhaps that was the real reason that Zabuza adopted the boy because he had been ostracised by his village and that Zabuza, in time, saw Haku as the son he would've had if he had settled down, "Really…I must be getting out of touch if I'm thinking of settling down" Zabuza said as he went back to get some rest.


End file.
